Accessing MasteringPhysics

• You must have cookies and JavaScript enabled in a reasonably modern web browser. I highly recommend the latest edition of the Mozilla Firefox browser.
• The website of MasteringPhysics is http://www.masteringphysics.com/ -- it is linked from the class webpage and from this page, though you will probably want to bookmark it.

Setting up your MasteringPhysics account

• Go to http://www.masteringphysics.com/.
• Click on "Students" in the Register box in the upper left.
• You will be asked for an access code. There should have been one included if you purchased the class text with MasteringPhysics. Otherwise you will need to follow the instructions on the screen to purchase an access code.
• I recommend that you use your ODU email address as your login name, and a unique password for your Pearson Education login that is associated with MasteringPhysics.
• The class ID is ODU2012PHYSICS231SATOGATA.
• Please use your name as you are registered in the class, and your ODU student ID during this registration. Knowing at least one of them is the only way I have of giving you credit for your homework and quizzes!

Using MasteringPhysics for PHYS 226N/231N

• Click on the "Assignments" tab.
• You should see a list of assignments that will include a Due Date/Time for each.
• Your first homework is to complete the "Introduction to MasteringPhysics" assignment by 09:00 on Friday of the first week of class (Aug 31 2012).
• About six to ten problems will be assigned per week for homework. You may begin working on it as soon as it appears in the class list and you will usually have one week to complete it. Homeworks will almost always be due by 09:00 on Friday to encourage you to be ready for that week's quiz.
• The percentage of available score on each assignment will fall after the due date/time.
• All assignments will be available to you through the entire semester so you can review them to prepare for quizzes, exams, and the final.
• I have set up MasteringPhysics so that it does not penalize you for wrong answers. However, you should work at the problem until you get the right answer, or contact me for help if you have difficulty getting a right answer.
• Multiple choice problems are slightly different; here you ARE penalized for guessing. The point of multiple choice problems is to make you think through carefully before selecting an answer.
• You can use any resources you like to solve the problems (including working on them with friends and/or classmates), but be aware that homework is exercise to prepare for the exams and you will not have access to those resources during the exams.
• Also note that you should write problems down and work through them in your homework notebook, neatly and including units. Per the syllabus, homework notebooks will be checked randomly at least once per quarter.